Lulu.com sales at Amazon

pfinucan · Dec 7, 2011

A standard set up for self publishers is to sale e-books through Amazon and Smashwords. Then sale trade paperbacks (~5X8) on the same Amazon page using CreateSpace.

I think that having physical books for sale next to the e-books on Amazon helps make the book look more legitimate (let me know if you disagree). I was thinking it would look even better if you had hardbacks or mass-market paperbacks available. One of the easiest ways to spot self-published books on Amazon is looking at what is available to buy.

But Createspace doesn't offer mass-market paperbacks (~4x6), or hardback books. But Lulu.com does. Has anyone used Lulu to sell mass-market paperbacks or hardback books through Amazon? Is it possible to price the POD at comparable rates to Commercial Publishers, like $8.99 paperbacks and $15 - $20 hardbacks? Even if you aren't making very much on the physical books, would it work as a sales tactic to make the e-book look better?

merrihiatt · Dec 7, 2011

You could try searching on Amazon for books published through Lulu. That would give you an idea.

FYI, it's sales, not sells.

pfinucan · Dec 7, 2011

it's sales, not sells

Thanks, don't have my brain screwed in tight today...

merrihiatt · Dec 7, 2011

pfinucan said:
Thanks, don't have my brain screwed in tight today...

merrihiatt · Dec 7, 2011

Here are two that I found by searching for Lulu Hardcover

Hardcover Lulu Book One

Hardcover Lulu Book Two

pfinucan · Dec 7, 2011

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

It is interesting that they are both very expensive ~$30, and are "Sold by" amazon, not just through Amazon. Looking up the manufacturing price on Lulu.com put that book around $18.

The pricing is confusing, but I think Amazon takes $1-$2, and Lulu takes 20%. I think they could be selling the books around $22 and be making $1 or $2. That is still higher can Commercial Publishers.

Kriven · Dec 7, 2011

If you're self-publishing using PoD services you're never going to match the prices of commercial publishing houses. Never.

And because of this, having a PoD copy of your work available doesn't "legitimize" it, for whatever reason you feel you need to prove that your work is legitimately literature. The only reason to go the PoD route would be to appeal to an audience who prefers paper to plastic (or silicone, or whatever).

I don't even know why you feel like you need to make the work seem more "legitimate" than it already is. It sounds more like you're trying to disguise yourself as commercially published to escape potential criticism. Be proud that you self-published (but not so proud that you shove it down the internet's throat).

veinglory · Dec 8, 2011

pfinucan said:
It is interesting that they are both very expensive ~$30, and are "Sold by" amazon, not just through Amazon. Looking up the manufacturing price on Lulu.com put that book around $18.

The pricing is confusing, but I think Amazon takes $1-$2, and Lulu takes 20%. I think they could be selling the books around $22 and be making $1 or $2. That is still higher can Commercial Publishers.

Amazon takes 50%. So the Amazon price for a Lulu book is the Lulu price times 2. That is why it is a better idea to use Createspace for Amazon sales.

pfinucan · Dec 8, 2011

I don't even know why you feel like you need to make the work seem more "legitimate" than it already is.

I think maybe I wasn't clear. It isn't about "legitimizing" the book, it's a sales tactic. I believe that a book will sale better if they are offered in more formats. That may or may not be true. That is what I am trying to figure out.

veinglory · Dec 8, 2011

Making a book available to more people (in more formats and more locations) seems a pretty obvious way to sell more copies.

Kriven · Dec 8, 2011

I believe that a book will sale better if they are offered in more formats.

This makes more sense. Carry on, Citizen!

James D. Macdonald · Dec 8, 2011

pfinucan said:
Is it possible to price the POD at comparable rates to Commercial Publishers, like $8.99 paperbacks and $15 - $20 hardbacks?

Yes, but you'll be making next to nothing per copy (and by that I mean pennies, and not a lot of them).

Even if you aren't making very much on the physical books, would it work as a sales tactic to make the e-book look better?

I don't think there's enough data to say what works as far as sales tactics.

M. Chandler · Dec 8, 2011

Lulu does act as a seller on the Amazon Marketplace, too. When I published with Lulu, they made my paperbacks available through Amazon for the same (inflated POD) price that they sell for on the Lulu storefront. I just checked, and they're still there.

That's not to say that my books are available through Amazon per se. They can be found via search and purchased using the buyer's Amazon account--which does save the buyer the trouble of making an account on Lulu--but the books are still made and shipped by Lulu.

I don't know if there's a specific way to get Lulu to list your books on Amazon. They emailed me and offered me the option as a courtesy; I never asked them to do it. They did not charge me anything for the service, though, and the listing seems free of errors.

James D. Macdonald · Dec 10, 2011

When Lulu lists your book at Amazon (without an ISBN), you get far more from each sale than you would if you bought the ISBN and listed the book at Amazon directly, given the same cover price for both.

Lulu.com sales at Amazon

pfinucan

Are we done yet?

merrihiatt

Writing! Writing! Writing!

pfinucan

Are we done yet?

merrihiatt

Writing! Writing! Writing!

merrihiatt

Writing! Writing! Writing!

pfinucan

Are we done yet?

Kriven

veinglory

volitare nequeo

pfinucan

Are we done yet?

veinglory

volitare nequeo

Kriven

James D. Macdonald

Your Genial Uncle

M. Chandler

out in left field

James D. Macdonald

Your Genial Uncle